Dr Jami Hossain is a mechanical engineer with over four decades of experience in the renewable energy sector. He began his career in 1985 with RRB, representing wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, and was involved in installing many of India’s earliest wind farms. He subsequently worked with TERI and served as a Visiting Scientist at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK. He later served as chief executive (projects) with Enercon India during the introduction of gearless wind turbine technology in India, and as a professor at TERI University. He has also held leadership positions in several national and international associations and currently serves as technical chair and honorary vice president of the World Wind Energy Association.
“The most exciting part of my current role is looking beyond individual projects to the larger transformation of the energy system. Wind, solar and emerging technologies are becoming integral to the energy economy, while energy itself can no longer be viewed in isolation from climate, economic development, technology and geopolitics,” says Dr Hossain. He emphasises the need for substantial additionality in wind and solar generation and a policy approach that enables capacity addition through multiple pathways, including feed-in tariffs, captive generation, third-party sale and open access. He also highlights the need for a greater focus on innovation, R&D and indigenous manufacturing, alongside the expansion of onshore wind and the development of India’s offshore wind resource. On repowering India’s ageing wind fleet, Dr Hossain sees it as an important route to additional renewable generation. He advocates enabling new developers and investors to partner with existing windfarm owners, supported by simplified approvals, appropriate commercial arrangements and timely grid augmentation.
Dr Hossain follows a management approach centred on defining the larger objective, providing guidance and giving people the freedom to determine how to achieve it. He particularly encourages younger professionals to test ideas, learn through trial and error, and develop confidence and independence.
Beyond his professional work, Dr Hossain paints, writes and pursues independent research in theoretical physics and cosmology. Looking ahead, he aims to contribute to a better understanding of how India can achieve clean energy independence by working with national and international institutions and bringing together leaders from industry, policy, academia and technology. He also hopes to mentor younger professionals, researchers and start-ups while continuing his research and creative pursuits.
